1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a personalized greeting card system and more particularly to a personalized greeting card system which is such that the user may quickly select from a wide variety of possible options to obtain a high quality card with a design and with printed text such as to be personalized with respect to the sender, recipient and occasion. The system uses relatively inexpensive equipment in a manner such as to obtain highly reliable and efficient operation with minimal waste of materials.
2. Background of the Prior Art
As discussed in the introductory portion of the specification of the aforesaid related application of Buckley et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,892,427 and 3,982,744 disclose methods for the production of personalized "ME" books in which, for example, the name of a child who is to receive a story book is printed in the text of a story book. In the production of such books, a computer was used to control a printer to print variable data on preprinted sheet material to form sheets which were bound together in a separate operation to provide the final hard cover book product. As disclosed, many types of variable data could be stored in the computer and such variable data may include quality control indicia which may include check bars or other graphics.
The Rosewarne et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,327 discloses methods similar to those disclosed in the "ME" book patents and the printing of specific types of graphics including pictorial figures having physical characteristics similar to personalized data introduced into the system. A standard microprocessor is programmed to provide storage and combining functions after personalized data is introduced into the system by temporary storage by the purchaser or user on a storage medium such as a punched card. One or more plotters are used for producing the final product, an eight pen plotter being disclosed.
Many vending machines have heretofore been provided for vending of cans, bottles, hot and cold liquids in cups, sandwiches, candy, combs, and various other products, each machine being typically designed to handle only products which have a physical size and shape within a certain limited range. Typically, a customer inserts a coin in a slot and makes a selection by pushing a button or by effecting movement of an article carrier to position a selected article at an exit position.
The aforesaid Buckley et al. application discloses a machine for vending greeting cards and similar personalized products and which is readily operable by a customer without assistance to obtain personalized or customized products of his or her choice. The machine includes means for displaying identifications of available products and desirable attributes and features thereof and of modes of selection such as to facilitate selection of products and the desired attributes and features by the customer, and provides a flexible manufacturing platform which allows for quick changes of product storage means to allow different products to be manufactured to customer's preferences.
More particularly, the machine of the Buckley et al. application includes an enclosure with selection and payment means on the outside thereof and with product storage and handling means on the inside thereof, all coupled to a computer which is on the inside of the enclosure and which is programmed to deliver a selected product to a receptacle from which it may be removed by the customer. Preferably, available products and their desirable attributes and features are identified both audibly and visually and the computer is programmed to control presentation of a sequence of images and associated sound. In accordance with an important feature, the computer controls a general presentation of a series of descriptions of available products and their features with instructions as to initiating use of the machine. When a customer initiates use of the machine, the computer then controls presentations of specific instructions to the customer to make it possible to make selections easily, quickly and accurately. After a customer's selections are effected, the computer again controls the general presentation and repeats it until another customer's use is initiated. Thus the audible and visual capabilities of the machine are used to maximum advantage.
In an illustrated embodiment of the Buckley et al. application, the images are presented on a CRT screen which is also usable as a touch screen for selection of the desired product and the desired features and attributes thereof. The touch screen or a keyboard or other input device may be used, for example, to select from among a number of different birthday cards and to enter the name and birth date of the intended receiver, the name of the sender and other personalized data.
After a customer selects and pays for a greeting card or other product, a data entering mode may be initiated in which he or she is asked to enter data or otherwise select the form of the final product, as by entering the names of the receiver and sender of a birthday card, for example. The data entering mode may further include operations for viewing and correction of entered data.